What kind of wine goes best with thai food?

[Andrea182]

I'm having takeout thai for dinner tonight and want to know what kind of (cheapish) wine to go with it. Any suggestions?

[Tay]

doesn't matter any cheap red wine. i'm thai and its tradition plus the tastes blend real nicely

[Caitlin]

Cheese tastes good with wine.

[fishball]

I'm glad to see a question like yours. It's a misconception that wines (western) are not compatible with Asian cuisine. I don't really care much about convention so thru the years I enjoy my wines when having Thai or Chinese food.

Thai dishes are varied and flavorful. Many carry the heat of chilies and other spices. A good inexpensive white from the Alsace-France will bring its own spice to pairing - the wine is dry with ripe fruit flavors.

Sometimes, you need a red to pair with a beef dish. You don't want a big, bold red that will clash with rather than complement the dish. The medium bodied Pinot Noirs are a good partner to beef dishes. The fruitiness goes nicely with Asian spices.

Suggest you pick up wine labels showing Gold, or Silver medal awards - they are surprising cheap, awfully good. Bon appetite!

[miss_cass_3]

Honestly, none. Thai food, like most spicy foods, goes best with beer. Try tracking down Tiger, Chang, or Singha. so good!

[bogmonster]

I have lived in Thailand for a long time. I eat Thai food often. I enjoy wine also.

I have come to the opinion after many attempts that wine does not really go with Thai food. (real Thai food, that is). I think the reason is Thai food is so hot. In fact Thais usually accompany their meals with water or if alcohol is chosen, beer or (rice) spirit with soda.

One semi-success was a real heavy Cabernet Sauvignon which in itself was so full flavoured to match the very flavoured Thai food.

[kirei]

a somewhat sweet white is usually great with spicy food - i suggest the Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling. Cheap delicious.

[wineandfooddude]

I have a lot of experience with wine and with food. While I am not Thai, I can confidently say that I have never had a red wine that went well with the spicy flavors.

Instead, one of my absolute favorite wine and food pairings is spicy Thai food with a German Riesling. The bright acidity and slight sweetness balances the spiciness beautifully and is in my opinion one of the great food and wine pairings possible.

My wine buddies and I used to go to a wine bar in San Francisco which had a great selection of German Rieslings and had spicy appetizers such as Thai curried mussels. They were heaven together!

While top rieslings can get expensive, the lower sweetness levels, such as Kabinett or Spatlese (the Spat being slightly riper and sweeter but still not near as sweet as a dessert wine) are pretty inexpensive. Even cheaper are QbA German wines. They usually just say the producer's name and riesling on the label without a vineyard name or a Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese or other designation.

Go to a good wine shop with a good selection of German rieslings and ask a salesperson to recommend an inexpensive one for you.

[hazelg]

White
Riesling (and other German/Alsace whites like Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris)
A no brainer, really. Go with fruity and floral nose rather than the musky note that some Rieslings have. Riesling labels can be hard to fathom, look for Kabinett (generally drier) or Spätlese (usually slightly sweeter). Auslese, depending on makers, migth be a little too sweet to pair with savory dishes.

Scheurebe
A cross between Riesling and Sylvaner. Scheurebe is crispy, fruity and very aromatic. It will work well here as well.
Loire whites: Vouvray, Savennières, and Saumur Blanc
Crisp minerality and citrus notes in these wines work well with sour Yum salads. Some Saumur Blanc with good structure (like my favorite Chateau Yvonne) would make a good match for coconut-based dishes, again as long as they are not extremely spicy. The minerality in these white wines from the Loire Valley also go very well with Thai seafood dishes.

Sparkling
Champagne and sparkling rosé, as long as they are not too oaky.
Lambrusco, an obscure sparkling wine from Italy. Lambrusco is fruity and slightly sweet, and will be a fun and unexpected match with Thai food.
Brachetto, another obscure Italian sparkler, this one a rosé from the Piemonte region. Pick a Brachetto that is not too sweet.
Red
Saumur-Champigny
Juicy and low-tannin Saumur-Champigny is a good choice if you want red wine.
Cru Beaujolais
Light and fruity Cru Beaujolais is not a bad choice. I'm not a big fan of Beaujolais Nouveau so I can't really recommend it.
Barbera
Very classic style of low tannin and ripe Barbera can also be a good match.